The invention relates to a cassette shaft seal of the type comprising an outer ring and an inner ring of opposite angular profile which together enclose an angular chamber of substantially rectangular cross section. The outer ring is provided with at least one sealing lip lying against the inner ring and with means for loosely holding a relatively rotatable, axially projecting flange of the inner ring. A communicating gap is present between the angular chamber and the sealed space outside the shaft seal which is defined on one side by the inner ring flange.
Such a cassette seal is disclosed in the German published patent application No. 34 14 008. It does not have very satisfactory practical properties, especially at high shaft rotational speeds.
The invention is addressed to the problem of further developing a cassette seal of this type such that it will have substantially improved properties at high shaft speeds. The cassette shaft seal according to the invention is to have greatly reduced wear, and thus have an increased useful life, especially at high speeds and at changing speeds.